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I first met this mommy and daddy when that little baby up there was still in his mommy’s perfect little round tummy (see below). I knew two things instantly about them: 1) they were very much in love with one another and 2) they were going to be amazing parents. And when I got to hang out with them a few weeks ago to celebrate the arrival of their baby boy, those two things were still very, very evident. These are the kind of newborn sessions that I live for: pure, honest, raw emotion, love beyond words, a little bit of trepidation, but soooooo much wonder and amazement. The whole family is so natural in front of the camera and in their interactions with one another. I kinda wanted to just stay there all day and watch them adore their son. My personal favorite image is HERE.
Candid moment caught looking through his grandfather’s WWII medals and pins.
That eye contact!!! Wow!
Melt our collective hearts, why don’t you?
The focus so did not fall where I had originally intended, but I ended up keeping this version…it communicates to me without being so literal. I kinda dig it.
I was actually in the process of taking some closeups of the baby alone when I noticed the way mom and dad were watching over him and it was absolutely beautiful!
Speaking of beautiful, motherhood looks really good on her, doesn’t it?
The pupster, on the other hand, well, I’m not so sure how he feels about all this ;-).
And, since I hadn’t blogged the images from their maternity photo session a few months ago, please enjoy:
Soooooooooooooo sweet!
These cuties are no strangers to the Pinkle Toes blog, but this is the first time I think we’ve worked together and I’ve really had the opportunity to experience their personalities. They are just getting to wonderful ages, where they are becoming more and more their own individuals and it’s been such a privilege to get to see that process happen in person!
This red wall was SUCH a find when mom pulled out all of this gorgeous red, white, and blue!
Sometimes, it’s nice to let the little ones take a step back away from the action of a photo shoot…where they don’t feel all the pressure is on them ;-).
And then…we got to RUN! And play! And RUN! And play some more!!
I was just commenting to someone about how much the Austin skyline has changed and so quickly! It’s amazing that while I may take pictures by the skyline nearly every 4th photo session, it’s NEVER the same it seems. Still crazy to think I can’t see the Frost Bank building from this vantage point any longer :-(.
Okay, so at this point, they were starting to feel their oats and they were getting so crazy and sooooooo funny!
And as always, don’t miss my PERSONAL FAV from their urban family session!
From mom:
Tell us a little bit about your family…
We are a family of four. The boys love legos, the beach and being silly.
What made you decide this was the time to do a photo session? Were you marking any special occasion, etc?
We do a yearly session with Michelle right around the boy’s birthdays. I like to see how they’ve grown in a year.
Where was your session held and why?
It was held in urban Austin because we wanted to capture the feel of the city we live in.
What did you like about your session location?
True austin feel.
What was your favorite part of your session?
My favorite part is always thinking that the kids didn’t follow directions and that we won’t have good pictures… then realizing that Michelle always captures the perfect moments and the photos are amazingly beautiful.
Was there anything you were nervous or worried about before the session?
The heat.
Any advice to other families before their photo sessions?
Just enjoy it.. it always turns out perfect.
What made you choose Pinkle Toes Photography?
We’ve been working with Pinkle Toes for 6 years!
What do you hope your kids/family will say years down the road when looking at these images?
Mommy put together great outfits for us all! 😉 {Um…yes. Let’s talk about that for a second. Miss S…most of us have a hard enough time pulling together just one outfit for everyone in the family…I don’t know how you managed TWO sets??? You always rock the wardrobe department, my friend!}
I didn’t realize this until I started culling and editing this precious baby boy’s newborn photos, but I must have been really boring him because he yawned SO MUCH, lol! Here are just two examples:
Actually, I think he was just happy and content and why wouldn’t he be? Look at how well he fits into his little family! You all may remember those lovely red curls of big sister from the maternity photo shoot HERE. Well, it was so crazy because the whole time I was editing the images, I could NOT get over how much he resembles his big sister! Something about his nose and lips, I think? Wonder if he’s going to have the same red curls, too…
While he LOVED snuggling up with his mama, he was pretty awesome with his big sister, who LOVED to love on him! My personal favorite image is HERE, because you can literally SEE the wonder in his sister’s eyes as she is watching over her little brother. I teared up several times at her interactions with him. I know she is struggling to figure out her new role, but she loves her brother so much. You can just tell it.
She is one of the most gorgeous little girls ever, isn’t she?
Then of course, look at her parents ;-).
These two. So happy to hang out…
…and nap together ;-).
Counting baby toes.
I mean, seriously?
We had to work hard to wake him.
And to try to keep him awake ;-).
But I think our persistence paid off with the very last image of the session right up there.
I had a visit from a beautiful baby girl and her parents a few weeks ago and thought I’d share because her outfits are true retro outfits worn by her mommy back in the day and I think that is really, really cool. She rocked them for her 4 month milestone session and I’m sure her mommy rocked them in the 70’s (I probably had some of these same outfits when I was growing up ;-). One of my favorite images can be seen HERE.
To help celebrate baby girl turning one, our session started off overlooking the city of Austin. 
She was dressed to the 9’s. I think this little girl accessorizes better than I do!
And then…a RAINBOW appeared!!!
Snuggles with her mommy. Also love this image HERE.
“Spider-Man” kisses with her dad.
And then…it was time for CAKE!
She had no problems figuring out what to do!
And, was kind enough to share. A little.
Demolition.
But this last series has me absolutely cracking up. “Caaaaaaaaake!” Price. Less!
From mom:
Tell us a little bit about your family…
My husband and I have been married for just over 5 years and we were blessed with the sweetest baby girl last year!
What made you decide this was the time to do a photo session? Were you marking any special occasion, etc?
We wanted to celebrate out little lady turning one! We can’t believe this year has gone by so quickly!!!
Where was your session held and why?
We wanted to have the Austin skyline in our photos because we absolutely LOVE living in Austin. We also wanted some nice greenery and Michele suggested Butler Park. It was perfect!
What did you like about your session location?
The view of the Austin skyline was the best part. We were wishing the fountain would have been running but unfortunately it wasn’t. {Gah…I know. Made me sad, too.–M}
What was your favorite part of your session?
Getting to play around with our little one. Also, the cake smash was PERFECT!
Was there anything you were nervous or worried about before the session?
The rain and heat!! The weather tested us that day but it turned out great!
What made you choose Pinkle Toes Photography?
We choose Pinkle toes because of her amazing work. She captures moments perfectly!
What do you hope your kids/family will say years down the road when looking at these images?
I hope she can tell how much love we have for her and how much we love being together.
But not about the tragic, horrific, sad, unspeakable event that just happened there recently (though I will admit it completely broke my heart when I heard the news). No, instead I want to talk about the absolutely beautiful, warm, friendly city with the equally beautiful, warm, friendly people living there that I was introduced to back in May. Charleston, South Carolina was the site of the 3rd Annual Pinkle Toes Photography Workshop Reunion. With previous magnificent reunions held first in Chicago in 2012, then New York City in 2014, the barre (spelling intended 😉 had been set pretty high for this informal gathering of past Pinkle Toes Workshop grads from all over. You will definitely want to read this post all the way to the end so you can follow the links to the images by all of the photographers who came to play.
The very first thing I did in Charleston was Becky’s family photo session (sigh…that was amazing) and I have to tell you, the city pretty much blew me away with its charm and beauty. The next morning, those of us who had gotten to the house early got to take a wonderful stroll along the beach at Isle of Palms. It was there we happened upon this stunning pregnant momma and Becky got the idea for us to do a maternity photo session for her on the beach when the rest of our crew arrived later! I cannot even believe this mom did not run away thinking we were crazy with the idea…instead, she was thrilled and we were very excited to get to play at sunset. I cannot remember the exact order of events, but I do know we had an OUTSTANDING lunch at Cru Café, very VERY tasty pizza from Mellow Mushroom that evening (including a surprise visit from a long-time online friend of mine, Danielle Hobbs), and then a gorgeous sunset maternity session on the beach:
With that many photographers there with cameras snapping away, you would think that would cause extreme intimidation and shyness. That, my friends, was NOT an issue here. How wonderful that this family opened up their little world to us and let us photograph this magical time in their lives. By the way…there are TWO babies in there ;-).
Pull back from the above image HERE so you can get a taste of what it must be like to have your own paparazzi. 
Loved this playful interaction here with Heather! She really had no problem hamming it up to the camera!
I’m not sure why Nicole is hiding under Jody’s dress. #motherginger #lotsofhashtagginghappeningduringthistrip
Yeah. Pretty stunning evening all around.
Okay, all of my days are starting to blur together at this point. In true reunion fashion, we packed in as much as we possibly could during our weekend. Let’s see if I can remember what all we did. Let’s see…
- Pure Barre Class – I was WAY impressed that these ladies decided to join me for a class and I was amazed at how Pure Barre Mount Pleasant welcomed us with open arms. Maybe not the best idea for the start of a very busy vacation (can you say SORE?), but actually, maybe it was (can you say LOTS OF DELICIOUS FOOD?).
- There was a lot of talk about T-Rex’s and what they do and do not like ;-).
- We had amazing sushi at O-Ku.
- Food Tour!! – we’ve done this at each of the reunions so far…such a great way to get to know the city and try all kinds of unique dishes.
- Oh…I will never forget dinner at The Grocery, which involved lots of incredible roasted broccoli and a few too many grown up strawberry-basil drinky drinks ;-). Lots and lots and lots of laughs that evening!
- The most amazing cupcakes at Sugar Bakeshop. I really want one right now.
- Cruising around downtown Charleston in Christy’s minivan dancing to Uptown Funk.
- #hashtag
- Sunrise Saturday – it has become a tradition as well to get up before the sun and go someplace unique for some photo ops. We chose the Folly Beach Lighthouse this year and it did not disappoint:
Rushing to catch the sunrise! It amazes me how little convincing it takes photographers to get up at 3:30 in the morning after you’ve gone to sleep after midnight just by the promise of amazing light.
Christy is being very dramatic with her hand signals. Thank you, Christy ;-).
I LOVE the shot Annette ended up getting from this perspective. It really is telling when 10 photographers can photograph the exact same thing and each come away with their own unique take on it.
Cue sun. Cue birds.
Okay, so Katie and I took a bit of a risk and basically RAN all the way around the island to get the perfect spot. Maybe not a good move as the tide came in and we had to kinda wade back to the rest of the group holding our cameras above water. Oops. #stupidbutworthit
Oh, I wish I had a longer lens.
Wish granted.
It was indeed worth it.
We had yet another delicious meal complete with homemade cinnamon rolls at Lost Dog Café and then it was off to our carriage tour. After that, we headed to Boone Hall Plantation (see…I wasn’t kidding when I said we did it ALL). What a beautiful place and yes, we did get to see the very waters where Mr. Hey Girl Ryan Gosling dove in during filming of The Notebook. (BRB, going to go watch that movie again). #heygirl
Here, Jody is giving us jazz hands. Or letting us know she has 5 fingers. Or giving us a tour. Or telling us to stop walking. Or testing the light. It’s hard to tell. #trexhatesjazzhands
They were setting up for what was certain to be a GORGEOUS wedding that night. We seriously contemplated crashing it. Who would turn down 9 free photographers? Of course, we probably would spend the whole time photographing the Spanish moss, of which, I’m certain I have about 1,000 images. Good. Grief. #photogcandy That, and poppies:
We also got to make one last visit to Rainbow Row (sigh…Jen Y). I am SO glad we got to back there. So many lovely colors and plants and details. I decided to play around with the Waterlogue app on my iPhone images from the trip. I kinda like how this turned out:
(Follow this Instagram #hashtag for more images from the trip).
I am certain I have missed major details from this incredible reunion. I’m sorry I keep using the words, “incredible, awesome, amazing, beautiful, wonderful, etc.” over and over again, but really, there’s no other way to describe it. I feel incredibly (there I go again) lucky to get to explore these new places, but even more so, I get to do so surrounded by lovely people who share the same sense of humor and a LOVE of all things beautiful, artistic, and tasty. Ladies of the Charleston, SC reunion: YOU made this trip for me. I swear my cheeks hurt for days after coming home from smiling and laughing so much. I would go back in a heartbeat and do it all over again. Much love to you all. #trexlovesfriendship
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Now, click on over to Jody Mack Photography (Charleston, Mount Pleasant Lifestyle Newborn and Family Photographer) to see her images and take on the trip! Follow the blog circle!
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And for the complete list of photographers who attended this reunion (visit their sites and you will be blown away!):
Nicole Leonard (Louisville, CO)
Do not let their normal, ordinary, everyday family appearances fool you. Trust me. I know for a fact that these people are SUPERHEROES. How do I know that? Read on and you’ll see…AND…make sure you go ALL the way to the bottom of this post. You will NOT want to miss it ;-).
Sure. In the images above, they look simply like a beautiful, loving family you might see hanging around the streets of Austin–and they are–but now I can reveal to you their TRUE identities….
Get…
Ready…
To…
Be…
Amazed…
When…
I present to you…
SUPER MOM! IRON DAD! AND ROCK STAR!!!!
I mean, seriously? How FUN is this?! This little lady is sure lucky to have parents willing to be seen on the streets of Austin in their Super Hero Attire ;-). I loved this idea and I am SO happy we got to make it come to fruition. Mom did an incredible job pulling everything together for it.
FYI, that tattoo is actually her daughter’s writing. Definitely. Copying. That. Idea.
She can fly!!! You won’t want to miss my FAVORITE version of this image HERE!!!!
Super. Perfection.
From Mom:
Tell us a little bit about your family…
Well it’s Brad, Addie and I…oh and 2 dogs (Incy and Stella) and 2 guinea pigs (Pickles and Hazel). Poor Brad…he’s the only guy in the mix. I LOVE my family…it’s my life…really.
What made you decide this was the time to do a photo session? Were you marking any special occasion, etc?
No special occasion…just what is becoming our annual family photo session with Pinkletoes. Now the challenge is to find something unique and creative to do each year. Poor Michele doesn’t realize what she’s getting into…well maybe a tad bit after this session.
Where was your session held and why?
After much thought we decided to start on the UT campus and then hit the drag. We had 2 different themes going on so it was a perfect fit. Brad graduated from UT so having it there was special for him. And the drag…. well it’s the drag. You never know what you’re gonna get there…superheroes fit right in. 🙂
What did you like about your session location?
The UT campus is amazing…and BIG! Did I say big?? There are SO many fun and unique little spots and Michele seems to know them all. And the drag is just SO Austin-y.
What was your favorite part of your session?
I can’t pick a fav part…sessions with Michele are just plain downright fun. I think you gotta do one to understand. And that’s not just my thoughts…driving home we all talked about what a fun experience it was yet again!
Was there anything you were nervous or worried about before the session?
Well yeah…parading around downtown Austin in a superhero costume…and it’s not Halloween. But needless worries…see above. Well we did get a few stares. But who cares?? Not us!
Any funny stories or interesting happenings during your session?
Addie loves it when Michele burps…and she didn’t disappoint. These are some serious burps guys! And then there was the moment it came time to change clothes so we popped into some random building on campus…maybe the only one without a bathroom to be found. So Michele stood guard while we donned our superhero costumes in a little alcove…kinda like our own little “phone booth”. [This was my fav part, too! – M]
Any advice to other families before their photo sessions?
Just go into it with an open mind and trust that Michele is awesome at what she does. Have fun and know that the product she delivers will far exceed any expectations you have. ***Repeat customer alert*** Don’t say you haven’t been warned.
What made you choose Pinkle Toes Photography?
Like I mentioned earlier this was our annual Pinkle Toes gig…a family tradition that we hope to continue indefinitely. And it’s not just her work…that speaks for itself. It’s also her business model…all of the little extra touches that mean so much. Thank you Michele…it doesn’t go unnoticed! [Aw, man…this means the WORLD, Karen!!! – M]
What do you hope your kids/family will say years down the road when looking at these images?
I read once that a photo is a “return ticket to a moment otherwise gone”. They are. My dad was killed in service when I was 4 and I treasure the few family photos I have. I want our photos to help Addie remember random moments in her childhood that pieced together show her that we lived and loved and laughed and had fun while doing it! She IS the center of our universe and I want her to know that. [Actually, THIS means the WORLD, Karen!!! – M]
I find it difficult to believe it was more than a year ago when we were celebrating the time they were waiting for her arrival (maternity photo session). And now here she is…a whole year old and she is a complete honest-to-goodness doll baby!
From mom:
Tell us a little bit about your family…
Family of 3 with two furry kids that didn’t get to participate in our session. A is our treasured gift. We love the outdoors and love going on family adventures.
What made you decide this was the time to do a photo session? Were you marking any special occasion, etc?
First birthday!
Where was your session held and why?
Pinkle Toes Studio. We wanted some outdoor nature shots as well as intimate indoor pictures.
What did you like about your session location?
The greenery, the nursery and the ability to have indoor and outdoor option.
What was your favorite part of your session?
Capturing A in her pink dress.
Was there anything you were nervous or worried about before the session?
Nope.
Any advice to other families before their photo sessions?
Just trust Michele. She will capture your family regardless of location, weather condition or any other challenges.
What made you choose Pinkle Toes Photography?
Returning client. Did maternity photos with Pinkle Toes.
What do you hope your kids/family will say years down the road when looking at these images?
Despite all the rain, we managed to have a great session and start a tradition.
Is she NOT a carbon copy of her dad??? LOL. I was totally expecting dark hair and dark eyes and I kept giggling at how wrong I was!
One of my favorite mother-daughter images is HERE. At the end of the session, she had worked pretty hard by that point and was very hungry. I love, love, LOVE that we got to have a little down time while her mommy nursed her. Their connection during this time? You can FEEL it in the images:
[Makeup and hair by Modern Muse Beauty]
Confession: I wasn’t really expecting to fall in LOVE with Charleston, SC, but I couldn’t help myself. This was the location of the 3rd Annual Pinkle Toes Workshop Reunion (I’ll be posting about that later 😉 and while I was in town, my friend Becky of Rebecca Keller Photography wanted to have her family photographed in the same place where her husband proposed to her (the gazebo you see above). Um…I also need to pause here and let you know that Becky’s AMAZING photography was recently featured in People Magazine for an incredibly inspiration article totally worth reading and in the same issue where Princess Charlotte first graced the cover. Yeah…you should have seen Becky’s hubby and I snagging copies at the local Harris Teeter and bragging on her ;-).
Anyway, the day I flew into Charleston, we headed right into town for an evening full of photographer’s eye candy which included a happy, loving, beautiful family; gorgeous light; unique and endlessly interesting architecture; the scent of jasmine so thick you could practically see it; a honest-to-goodness cobblestone street; and a row of homes painted so brightly, it is actually called “Rainbow Row.” I quickly learned that evening that Charleston was a city full of character, color, and charm.
This one made me giggle when I stumbled upon it! Mama definitely has her arms full of love with these two hams. And there’s that jasmine. The streets were basically lined with it in full bloom!
Our first pass along Rainbow Row. We had to go back for seconds later ;-).
Cobblestone!!!!! Just don’t see much of this in Texas, so yeah, I was a bit infatuated.
Becky gave me the heads up that it might take a lot for little buddy up there to smile and true to form, he was pretty serious through most of the session. But he couldn’t resist the power of mom snuggles.
Yeah, there’s more of that stunning light.
Back to Rainbow Row!!! I’m kinda glad we didn’t come here first because I don’t think I would have gone anywhere else. I mean what a cool spot!
Another one of my favorite shots along Rainbow Row can be found HERE.
This little dude is sharp as a tack and SO charming! He is such a neat kid and so much fun to chat with!
Becky’s hubby has the patience of a saint. They drove in from NC that morning and then he drove back and forth to the airport to pick me up and then hauled the whole family into downtown to do a photo shoot AND then, took the boys home the next day so that Becky could stay and enjoy the reunion. I think he earned his hubby points for the entire year in just a few days’ time.
So there’s a thing about pineapples in Charleston. Didn’t know that, but they’re a symbol of hospitality and you can spot them everywhere…even as a giant fountain at Waterfront Park. The fountain and sunglasses were a big hit with big brother, but both were a huge miss with the little guy. He was D-O-N-E with us and all of our shenanigans by this point. Fortunately, Becky had a secret weapon: his bear. The first glimpse of his bear and he lit up with a full body smile! How precious it is to see something so small bring such delight to a child.
Becky, it was my absolute pleasure to get to work with you and your family. I know I said this over and over during the session, but your patience, relaxed approach, and realistic expectations of your sweet boys really gave me the freedom to create for you. It was such a joy to experience a city that obviously means so much to you with the people that mean the most to you! Thank you for sharing Charleston and your amazing family with me!
Update 6/4/15 from Becky:
Tell us a little bit about your family…
Michael – grew up in Akron, OH,loves Carolina basketball and spends a lot of his free time building legos with Owen.
Becky – Grew up in Greensboro, NC, loves photography, iced coffee, fried okra, and pure barre (thanks Michele for recommending!!!)
Owen – spends most of his time building legos, reading, and playing at the park
Harrison – loves trains, his bear, his blankie and his big brother
What did you like about your session location?
I was so super excited when I found out the Pinkle Toes Workshop Reunion was possibly going to be in Charleston. I e-mailed Michele to see if it would be possible to photograph our family and was so excited that it was going to work out. Since Michael proposed in the gazebo at The Battery, I loved the idea of having family portraits there, too. Charleston has always been special to us, and I’m so excited about decorating our house with the custom portraits Michele created for us.
What was your favorite part of your session?
My favorite part of the session was just how much fun it was. There was no trying to get the kids to look at the camera or Michele – no stress of trying to get the kids into good moods because what was important to us was capturing our family have fun together and interacting together like we normally do. The session was focused on us just being us which resulted in pictures I just LOVE. When I look at the images, I see my kids personalities just shining though and I love that – Michele captured so many of their everyday expressions. It was also fun walking around Charleston and exploring all the fun spots – we did not run out of pretty places and had to keep ourselves from stopping every second! I also love that we were able to capture so much of Charleston – the Battery, Rainbow Row, cobblestone streets, and the Waterfront Park. I’m still amazed at all we captured in one session.
Was there anything you were nervous or worried about before the session?
Since we all made the trip to Charleston that day, and Michele’s connecting flight was a little delayed, it seemed like a miracle that it all came together! I had my hair and make up done only twenty minutes after we arrived in Charleston and we left about an hour or so later for downtown.
Any funny stories or interesting happenings during your session?
Owen was totally Michele’s bff right when he met her and just took her hand right out of the car and started towards the park like they were hanging out – see you guys later!
Any advice to other families before their photo sessions?
I would just relax and spend the time playing with your kids and not focusing on trying to get them to look at the camera. Those are my most favorite images. I also loved that I had my hair and make up done and that I didn’t have to worry about it during the session and could just play with my boys.
What made you choose Pinkle Toes Photography?
Michele is so much fun, and I love how creative she is with her images and not focusing on posed portraits. I knew she would create authentic family portraits for us that captured my little ones’ personalities and us together. I also wanted something that looked more like art to decorate our home with, and I’m so excited to display these!I knew I wouldn’t have to worry about our session – that Michele would create beautiful memories for us that were unique and creative.
What do you hope your kids/family will say years down the road when looking at these images?
How much fun we had as a family and what a treasure these are to look at and remember. I love our images because they genuinely look like us because we weren’t stressed, and we were having so much fun together. I hope my kids will see that – how loved and treasured they are and the love their mom and dad also have for each other. Since I’m usually the one taking photos of my husband and kids, it’s such a treasure to be in the photos, too, and to also have a photo of just Michael and I. Thank you, Michele, for capturing these sweet memories for us!
I will always jump at the chance to capture the vibrant, eclectic, funky-meets-western vibe of downtown Austin and when I get the added bonus of working with an equally fun family again? Um, yes, please! I know, I know it was a horribly early start to a Saturday morning, but I’m so grateful they stuck with it…I just love the freedom we get to enjoy when we’re practically alone on the streets of Austin and we don’t have to deal with any daytime heat! While I have worked in a few of these spots before, we really had the opportunity to try new perspectives and even discovered some new super-cool nooks!
P.S. Fav family firetruck photograph HERE (see what I did there with alliteration?).